InuYasha and Kagome - Care
by purinsesu-sereniti
Summary: for inukag week. prompt: care
She was frightened, but not too frightened. Not frightened enough to back away and not frightened enough to give up. Discarding both her quiver and arrows and her bow, she took a single, somewhat tentative step forwards, ignoring the gasps coming from her fellow comrades. In front of her eyes, InuYasha was changing. He was becoming something entirely separate from himself. The sharp claws, the fierce snarling, the haunted eyes… None of that was _him._ She took another step forward and that was when he spun around, coming to face her, and his amber eyes darkened. Something like recognition crossed his features and no one else could see it but her. He knew her, despite the darkness clawing at his soul, he still knew who she was. Deep down, on some sort of level he knew it was her.

All around them the miasma swirled, leaving her comrades coughing and sputtering, but she alone was unaffected. This miasma, different from the one usually accompanying Naraku, had set off the demon within InuYasha. The fight with Naraku had merely been a distraction. Kagome was certain now that his only intention was to have InuYasha change and kill her and the others. She would never forgive him for that. He would pay.

"InuYasha…" Her soft vocals filled his mind and he growled, his head swimming with voices and images. Every thought turned back to her, with her soft, black hair and her sweet and sunny smile. The way her voice said his name… It was all familiar to him. "InuYasha…" Stronger this time. Her voice was coming closer. The face swayed before him, lips moving to the syllables of his name, brown eyes full of something that broke his human heart. The rational part that remained within him was screaming to stop, was screaming for him to back away and never look back. But that piece of him, that demonic force within him was telling him to taste more blood.

She had to turn him back, somehow she had to make him back into the InuYasha she knew. This bloodstained demon was not who he really was. Another step forward and they stood only a few foot apart; his growling was intimidating and low, his eyes narrowing as she approached him. "Kagome!" She heard Sango calling out to her, her tone fearful and she knew her eyes would be the same. She kept her eyes forward, on InuYasha, and her attention on the task at hand. In a single instance, she could be killed, without warning he could snap and kill her as he had killed the villagers. But, she had to believe that he was stronger than the demonic nature inside of him.

And then, he was leaping forward, tackling her to the ground; he slammed her to the ground, hands at her shoulders, sharp claws digging into her skin. Behind her, their comrades were crying out, ready to leap into action, but she knew this was something _she_ had to do on her own. "No! Wait!" She called out to them, keeping her eyes on the snarling face before her. InuYasha seemed to be struggling, seemed to have hundreds of thoughts running through his mind. She could see it in his eyes. This was not who he was or what he wanted to do. She flinched as his claws dug deeper, drawing blood, but she did not struggle against him, but merely kept her eyes on his. "InuYasha…" She murmured softly, feeling her eyes welling up with tears. She hated seeing him like this. She had to save him.

Blood… He could smell blood… _Her_ blood. Golden eyes seemed to come to life for a moment and the grip on her skin lessened. Pulling away, he drew his hands to himself, his eyes flickering between recognition and darkness. She struggled up onto one elbow, keeping her eyes on his, lips quivering with the emotion rushing through her body. "InuYasha… Sit."

He slammed face down and at once she could see that was all that it took to have him back to normal. "Kagome!" He roared her name as he rose up but at once he was sobering, the stricken look crossing his features breaking her heart. Golden eyes widened and he sniffed, his dog-like ears twitching with every sound around him. He could see the blood on his hands and one scent above all else rose above… Kagome's blood. On _his_ hands. Rising up, InuYasha looked around, the several dead bodies of the villagers littering the ground behind him. Also the carcass of the demon Naraku had sent, it lay torn to pieces among the villagers. At once he realized what had happened… He could recall the feeling of his claws slashing flesh, could remember the battle that had led to the slaughter… The miasma… He blinked and turned back to Kagome, who was sitting up, blood staining the white sleeves of her blouse red. "Kagome…" He said softly, his eyes full of something she'd never seen before. And then he was gone, dashing off in the other direction leaving them all behind.

"InuYasha!" She called out to him as he ran, her voice reaching him, but still he did not stop. He went on running, running until when he finally did look back, his comrades were a mere speck of dust on the horizon.

[ x x x ]

He'd been sitting alone for hours.

Every now and again she'd come close, hovering just behind the scattering of trees that lined the curve of the embankment, giving him the illusion of privacy. He wondered if she knew he knew she was always there. The wind would blow and he'd catch her scent… Her foot would snap a twig or crunch a leaf… He simply could feel her eyes upon him.

No matter how many times he'd washed his hands, he could not remove the stench of blood from them. Above all others, he could smell hers… He'd hurt _her_ and he would never forgive himself. Pain washed over him and he clenched his hands into fists, eyes squeezing shut as tears threatened to spill over. He could not believe that he'd lost control and put his hands on Kagome. That he'd drawn her blood and endangered her life.

 _Footsteps…_

His eyes snapped open and he knew she was standing behind him. There was no words exchanged and he made no move to turn around and face her. He heard her take a little breath and release it and then she was dropping down onto the ground beside him, her hand extended with a towel. Still silent, he took it, drying off his hands as she drew her knees to her chest, her arms draped around them. "You don't have to say anything, you know," she said after a few more beats of silence, her head turning, her gaze falling upon him, her lips curving with the smallest of smiles. It was like she could read his mind.

Giving into temptation, he turned to look at her, something like relief spreading through him as he saw her smile, saw the brightness to her eyes. He could see that she'd changed clothes, had done away with her usual uniform and seemed to instead have donned an outfit he'd seen before. Her sleeves were short and he could see the bandages wrapped around her upper arms; he hated himself more than ever. She was so perfect in that moment, with her soft hair curling around her face and that sweet smile she offered him. He didn't deserve her. After what he had done… No, he didn't deserve a look like that from her. He turned away again, his shoulders curving inward, his head bowed low; lids swept closed and he gripped a hand tight into a fist. "Kagome… I…" He what? What did he want to tell her? That he wanted her to leave him? That he wanted her to return to her own time where she would be safe? Safe from Naraku, safe from _him?_ But he didn't want that. He was selfish and could not stand to think about living a single moment without her. He wanted her to remain beside him at all times… But…

He heard the soft movements before he felt her touch, so warm and gentle as her arms came around him, her chest pressing tightly to his back. For a single moment he remained frozen in place, torn between pushing her aside or taking her into his arms. However, he knew the answer a moment later, only when she spoke the softest of words… "I'm staying." Without him even speaking, she knew what he was thinking. He chuckled in spite of himself and reached up a hand to slide over hers. But no, that wasn't enough. Silently, he twisted away from her and turned around to instead face her; brown eyes met gold and she was smiling once again. Reaching out, he pulled her towards him, crushing her against his chest, his face buried into her familiar smelling hair. "InuYasha…" She was murmuring his name and he felt his heart turnover.

"Why…?" The single word escaped him and at once she was pulling back, her wide-eyed gaze full of surprise. His hands traveled down to brush his fingertips against the backs of her arms, over the bandages that covered the wounds those same hands had created. Their eyes met yet again and something unspoken settled between the two of them.

"Because I care about you, stupid." She replied with a grin, her head tilting to the side, hair slipping over a shoulder. His heart skipped a beat and he felt a warmth spreading through his entire body. "What you did… It wasn't you. I know that and so do you." He closed his eyes and he felt her hand against his cheek, warm and small yet offering him more comfort than any words she could ever say. She knew how badly this ate at him, she knew how badly he was struggling with what had happened, but she wanted him to be free from that guilt. In a real world, InuYasha would never had hurt her. His gaze was so heartbreakingly beautiful; so many emotions swam in those golden hues: fear, guilt, sorrow, then relief. It hurt her to see him ache so, especially when she felt no ill will towards him at all. She could never think badly of him, no matter what he did. "I'll always be by your side."

Without another word, InuYasha was drawing her to him yet again, his heart beating and his pulse thudding. This time there was but a quick embrace, his mouth hovering near hers, one hand wrapped around her wrist as he drew her close. "Kagome…" Her name was on his lips and he could feel pulse quicken against his fingertips. "I care about you more than anything." Her breath caught and a second later his lips found hers; for several moments they remained locked in an embrace, until finally he pulled back, both of their cheeks flushing with color. She was there and she wanted to stay with him. After everything they'd ever gone through, from their early days to these times now… She wanted to stay with him.

And just like that… Everything felt right once again.


End file.
